British postage stamps which often portray the monarch will honor a different Queen in a new Royal Mail series – the veteran rock band that is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The set of 13 stamps on sale next month will feature artwork from their most popular album covers, images from the band's extravagant live performances and their first studio photoshoot in 1974.

"What an honour. We must be really part of the furniture now!" said drummer Roger Taylor.

Guitarist Brian May added: "Since we four precocious boys started out on our quest 50 years ago, our lives have been devoted to making our impossible dream come true."

"Sometimes it's strange to wake up and realize the position in which we are now held – we have become a national institution!"

Queen, who has sold more than 300 million records, is the third music group to have a dedicated British stamp issue after the Beatles in 2007 and Pink Floyd in 2016.